Obama's comments on Zimmerman trial and race strike chord in North Jersey

By MONSY ALVARADO and SACHI FUJIMORI

STAFF WRITERS |

The Record

President Obama’s personal remarks on Friday about racism and violence spurred several North Jerseyans to reflect on the prejudices they have experienced in their lives with some saying that the topics, at times hard to talk about, should be discussed more often within their communities.

“I felt it was very honest and heartfelt,” said the Rev. Vernon Walton of Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Englewood. “The politically expedient thing would have been to remain silent. But speaking up helps facilitate a national conversation.”

"There are very few African-American men in this country who haven't had the experience of being followed when they were shopping at a department store," President Obama said Friday, "and that includes me."

The unannounced speech by the president before the White House press corps was the first extensive statements he has made since a Florida jury’s acquittal of George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch member, in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager. Obama said he wanted to talk about the context of the protests that have taken place since the verdict and about ways to move ahead “in a positive direction.”

The president said the death caused a lot of pain among blacks because it reminded many that they are often targets of suspicion and vulnerable to violence. He said he could have been Martin 35 years ago and shared some of his experiences with racism, including hearing the locks click on a car door while he crossed the street.

“There are very few African-American men in this country who haven’t had the experience of being followed when they were shopping at a department store, and that includes me,” Obama said.

Deborah Watson, who was walking on Main Street in Hackensack on Friday afternoon, welcomed the remarks, saying the president was right on point to talk about the racial tensions that exist and the prejudices blacks experience.

“He should say more,’’ said Watson of New York. “You just don’t judge a person by the outside of their skin.”

Linwood Eason of Hackensack, who grew up in North Carolina, said he never expected Zimmerman to be convicted, especially in the South, where he said racism is rampant.

“The way I look at it is, if you kill a black man in the South, you can get away with it,” he said. “He killed that boy … that kid had no gun. … If that was me and I killed a white kid, what would have happened to me in Florida?”

Eason said he hadn’t heard the president’s remarks but concurred that race relations in the country, even in the North are an issue that needs to be addressed and discussed.

Marius Satori of Hackensack said the outcome of the case was not racial and that he believes if Martin had been Asian, white or of any other background, the outcome would have been the same.

“I don’t think he was looking at race as a reason to shoot him,’’ said Satori, who is white.

A 27-year-old black woman from Teaneck who was also on Main Street said she was heartbroken by the verdict and said she appreciated the president’s message, especially the part when he said that black Americans need to address the violence that exists in their communities.

“We do have to talk about what is happening in our communities,” she said. “If we don’t value ourselves, no one is going to value us.”

Outside shopping strips in East Rutherford and Lyndhurst, reaction to Obama’s statement was mixed.

Anthony Dovi of Rutherford said Obama had to speak because political pressure to say something about the case was mounting. He said he agreed with the jury’s decision because there was lack of evidence to convict Zimmerman, but said he welcomes discussions the case has brought on existing laws and racial injustices.

“The system needs to iron out those inequalities over time,” he said. “The challenge is to figure out a law that allows people to protect themselves when they feel threatened but also protects those that stereotypically are placed in a threatening category.”

Hector Burgess of Lyndhurst said he doesn’t believe the decision by the jury to acquit was based on race.

“The way I see it is if you are not rich and not one of the 1 percent elite, you are always going to fight an uphill battle no matter what ethnicity or background,’’ said Burgess, who was born in the Dominican Republic. “I’ve faced racism, people have said derogatory comments toward me, but I brush it off and try to be a better person.”

Last year, in response to the shooting, Walton, of Mount Calvary in Englewood, founded the Man Up youth leadership program for black males ages 11 to 17. As a part of the program, Walton teaches the teens practical survival advice.

“We have to be mindful of what we say and look like,” he said. “We live in a world of freedom and opportunity, but not everyone believes we are free. There are people who don’t value our lives. Think twice when you get in a car. Your paperwork is checked. Someone knows where you are going and how long you will be there. These are things you can’t take for granted.”

Chrisena Coleman of Hackensack, a mom of two teenage sons, Jordan, 17, and Justin, 12, said she has always worried about her boys’ safety when they walk out the door.

“I feel like my sons are Trayvon Martin. I know it sounds cliché. But they want to wear the cool clothes and the hoodies. They’re honor roll students, but when you’re confronted with someone who has ill intentions, they have no chance to explain who they are.”

She said she’s particularly worried for Jordan, who will be enrolling as a freshman at American University in Washington, D.C., this fall. When Jordan wants to go to parties in nearby towns like Saddle River and Ramsey, she said she won’t let him drive, and orders a car service for him.

“When he goes to parties in these towns where there are not a lot of African-Americans, it worries me.”

She also acknowledged being somewhat of a helicopter mom, texting the boys all the time. Jordan, who has an internship at a Manhattan film company this summer, texts his mom throughout the day to let her know he’s OK.

Coleman said she has been giving her sons versions of “the talk” since they were young boys. She teaches them to always use manners. If ever stopped by the police, she tells them to not ask a lot of questions, and if friends are in the back of the car, they shouldn’t squirm and move around a lot.

“I have instilled these lessons since they were little. It’s part of rearing them.”

Obama's comments on Zimmerman trial and race strike chord in North Jersey

"There are very few African-American men in this country who haven't had the experience of being followed when they were shopping at a department store," President Obama said Friday, "and that includes me."

By MONSY ALVARADO and SACHI FUJIMORI

STAFF WRITERS |

The Record

President Obama’s personal remarks on Friday about racism and violence spurred several North Jerseyans to reflect on the prejudices they have experienced in their lives with some saying that the topics, at times hard to talk about, should be discussed more often within their communities.

“I felt it was very honest and heartfelt,” said the Rev. Vernon Walton of Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Englewood. “The politically expedient thing would have been to remain silent. But speaking up helps facilitate a national conversation.”

The unannounced speech by the president before the White House press corps was the first extensive statements he has made since a Florida jury’s acquittal of George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch member, in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager. Obama said he wanted to talk about the context of the protests that have taken place since the verdict and about ways to move ahead “in a positive direction.”

The president said the death caused a lot of pain among blacks because it reminded many that they are often targets of suspicion and vulnerable to violence. He said he could have been Martin 35 years ago and shared some of his experiences with racism, including hearing the locks click on a car door while he crossed the street.

“There are very few African-American men in this country who haven’t had the experience of being followed when they were shopping at a department store, and that includes me,” Obama said.

Deborah Watson, who was walking on Main Street in Hackensack on Friday afternoon, welcomed the remarks, saying the president was right on point to talk about the racial tensions that exist and the prejudices blacks experience.

“He should say more,’’ said Watson of New York. “You just don’t judge a person by the outside of their skin.”

Linwood Eason of Hackensack, who grew up in North Carolina, said he never expected Zimmerman to be convicted, especially in the South, where he said racism is rampant.

“The way I look at it is, if you kill a black man in the South, you can get away with it,” he said. “He killed that boy … that kid had no gun. … If that was me and I killed a white kid, what would have happened to me in Florida?”

Eason said he hadn’t heard the president’s remarks but concurred that race relations in the country, even in the North are an issue that needs to be addressed and discussed.

Marius Satori of Hackensack said the outcome of the case was not racial and that he believes if Martin had been Asian, white or of any other background, the outcome would have been the same.

“I don’t think he was looking at race as a reason to shoot him,’’ said Satori, who is white.

A 27-year-old black woman from Teaneck who was also on Main Street said she was heartbroken by the verdict and said she appreciated the president’s message, especially the part when he said that black Americans need to address the violence that exists in their communities.

“We do have to talk about what is happening in our communities,” she said. “If we don’t value ourselves, no one is going to value us.”

Outside shopping strips in East Rutherford and Lyndhurst, reaction to Obama’s statement was mixed.

Anthony Dovi of Rutherford said Obama had to speak because political pressure to say something about the case was mounting. He said he agreed with the jury’s decision because there was lack of evidence to convict Zimmerman, but said he welcomes discussions the case has brought on existing laws and racial injustices.

“The system needs to iron out those inequalities over time,” he said. “The challenge is to figure out a law that allows people to protect themselves when they feel threatened but also protects those that stereotypically are placed in a threatening category.”

Hector Burgess of Lyndhurst said he doesn’t believe the decision by the jury to acquit was based on race.

“The way I see it is if you are not rich and not one of the 1 percent elite, you are always going to fight an uphill battle no matter what ethnicity or background,’’ said Burgess, who was born in the Dominican Republic. “I’ve faced racism, people have said derogatory comments toward me, but I brush it off and try to be a better person.”

Last year, in response to the shooting, Walton, of Mount Calvary in Englewood, founded the Man Up youth leadership program for black males ages 11 to 17. As a part of the program, Walton teaches the teens practical survival advice.

“We have to be mindful of what we say and look like,” he said. “We live in a world of freedom and opportunity, but not everyone believes we are free. There are people who don’t value our lives. Think twice when you get in a car. Your paperwork is checked. Someone knows where you are going and how long you will be there. These are things you can’t take for granted.”

Chrisena Coleman of Hackensack, a mom of two teenage sons, Jordan, 17, and Justin, 12, said she has always worried about her boys’ safety when they walk out the door.

“I feel like my sons are Trayvon Martin. I know it sounds cliché. But they want to wear the cool clothes and the hoodies. They’re honor roll students, but when you’re confronted with someone who has ill intentions, they have no chance to explain who they are.”

She said she’s particularly worried for Jordan, who will be enrolling as a freshman at American University in Washington, D.C., this fall. When Jordan wants to go to parties in nearby towns like Saddle River and Ramsey, she said she won’t let him drive, and orders a car service for him.

“When he goes to parties in these towns where there are not a lot of African-Americans, it worries me.”

She also acknowledged being somewhat of a helicopter mom, texting the boys all the time. Jordan, who has an internship at a Manhattan film company this summer, texts his mom throughout the day to let her know he’s OK.

Coleman said she has been giving her sons versions of “the talk” since they were young boys. She teaches them to always use manners. If ever stopped by the police, she tells them to not ask a lot of questions, and if friends are in the back of the car, they shouldn’t squirm and move around a lot.

“I have instilled these lessons since they were little. It’s part of rearing them.”